Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars was ground-breaking on so many levels. It featured the first same-sex pairing in DWTS history. Pop star JoJo Siwa partnered with pro Jenna Johnson, and they were incredible.
Pro Cheryl Burke, and her partner, Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby, were both diagnosed with Covid-19. That meant utilizing Zoom to train while they quarantined. The couple did their best with a jazz routine that they performed remotely, from their separate homes.
Influencer Olivia Jade, whose parents were involved in the college admissions scandal, was paired with Val Chmerkovskiy. Olivia denied rumors that she and Val were hooking up. Val’s wife, Jenna, was unbothered by the rumblings. I was bothered by Val saying that Season 30 may have been his last in the ballroom.
During horror movie week, a new front-runner emerged. NBA star Iman Shumpert and his pro partner Daniella Karagach delivered a creepy contemporary routine inspired by the horror movie Us. It won them a perfect score, and deservedly so.
Iman’s wife, actress and dancer Teyana Taylor, was a big fan of the duo’s connection. “I honestly think that their chemistry is amazing. I think that Daniella is an amazing choreographer,” Teyana said. “I’m a dancer, so I appreciate what she do and then she kills it.”
Iman and Teyana got married in 2016, and they have two daughters. They also star in a reality show about their lives, titled We Got Love: Teyana & Iman.
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Teyana applauded her husband joining DWTS and trying something new. “I think that [Karagach] takes him out of his comfort zone and I love that. You know what I’m saying? Like, you get to see him in a different space,” Teyana commented.
When the DWTS finale arrived, Iman and Daniella won the mirror ball trophy in a surprising upset. Their epic freestyle routine left me speechless. JoJo and Jenna came in second place, Cody and Cheryl placed third, and Amanda Kloots and pro Alan Bersten came in fourth place.
Jenna and JoJo were excited for the champions. “Iman, for some reason, has been like our big brother in this whole competition, so if there was anyone who we wanted to win, it was Iman and Daniella,” Jenna shared.
USA Today reported that Iman made DWTS history as the first NBA player to ever clinch the mirror ball. Now that Iman has conquered the ballroom, he is ready to hit the basketball court.
According to New York Post, Iman told TMZ he was “trying to see what we can get done. I love basketball. I never stopped playing.” He added, “They call me a ‘former’, ‘ex,’ but I told them the league just didn’t pay me this year. It’s not an ‘ex’ thing. Me and the league didn’t break up.” Iman’s last game was in February of 2021 when he played with the Nets. He had a 10-day contract with the team.
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New York Post reported that Iman, during an appearance on NBA Today, discussed his hopes of winning a second championship. In 2016, Iman won a ring with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Iman stated, “I gotta get my work in. I just gotta keep myself ready and I think my reputation around the league, just working my ass off — nobody’s going to say, ‘Is Iman going to be ready?’ Is Iman going to be working hard? Is Iman going to be doing the right things to bring positivity to this ball club?’” he remarked. “I don’t think anybody can question that with my rap sheet.”
Right now, he is waiting “for the right opportunity.” Iman explained, “I’ll be doing other opportunities until that happens. I play basketball because I love it, not to wait on a job at the same time.”
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Iman played for the New York Knicks for four seasons before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for three years. Iman has also played for the Kings and Rockets before he joined the Brooklyn Nets.
TELL US- DID IMAN AND DANIELLA DESERVE THE MIRROR BALL? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IMAN JOIN THE NBA AGAIN?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Maarten de Boer]